NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Possible James Harden Trade, Marvin Bagley III, More
James Harden remains with the Houston Rockets for the foreseeable future.
"The Beard" dominated in his first three appearances of the season, averaging 37.0 points, 11.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds while also shooting 45.5 percent from beyond the arc on 11.0 attempts per game. Harden did not play in the team's win the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, but Houston got back to the .500 mark.
The Rockets have won two straight, with Harden seemingly in midseason form and new additions John Wall and Christian Wood looking very sharp early. Houston might have less onus to move the former league MVP, and the Philadelphia 76ers—a possible suitor—could hold off on trade discussions after a fast start.
Here is the latest on the Sixers' purported pursuit of Harden, as well as Marvin Bagley III's camp showing discontent with the Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets center Isaiah Hartenstein's market during free agency this past fall.
Sixers 'Farther Away' from Harden Trade
1 of 3
The Sixers might have the best potential deal to present to the Rockets, should they be willing to give up Ben Simmons. But Philly is clicking on all cylinders at present.
Doc Rivers and Co. improved to 5-1 after Saturday's 127-112 win over the Charlotte Hornets, tied for the best mark in the NBA alongside the Phoenix Suns.
Simmons is taking on less of the scoring responsibilities, averaging 13.5 points on just 9.3 shot attempts per game. However, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick is filling it up in other areas, averaging 9.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists while also playing exceptional defense. Meanwhile, Joel Embiid is off to one of his better starts, averaging 25.0 points and 12.6 rebounds.
The two stars are coexisting, but Philly's other starters are making their mark. Tobias Harris is shooting nearly 50 percent from beyond the arc. Seth Curry has been a vital acquisition and floor-spacer, averaging 16.2 points on 51.5 percent shooting from deep.
Philly's success might mean president of basketball operations Daryl Morey shows less interest in a Harden deal. Brian Windhorst of ESPN said the Sixers still have the best package if Simmons were included but added the team is "farther apart" with the Rockets than they once were.
Morey plainly stated last month the team was not trading Simmons, almost immediately after it was reported the Sixers were making Simmons available in talks.
Additionally, Rivers in particular has been adamant about wanting to see what he has with both Simmons and Embiid on the floor together. Rivers said last month he called Simmons personally after the reports of the Aussie's inclusion in a Harden package had circulated.
Philly's leadership has stuck by Simmons. Now, after a 5-1 start, there is more intrigue to see just how good this team can be with the current group, rather than what it could be with Harden.
Tensions Mounting Between Bagley Camp, Kings
2 of 3
The Sacramento Kings did not just suffer a loss to the Rockets on Saturday, they were also exposed to purported displeasure from the camp of third-year big Marvin Bagley III.
Bagley's father, Marvin Bagley Jr., posted a since-deleted tweet asking for the Kings to trade his son. This is not the first time Bagley Jr.'s camp has expressed discontent with the organization. The player's father also seemed to vent on Twitter after head coach Luke Walton elected to go with Richaun Holmes over Bagley for the majority of the fourth quarter a Dec. 29 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Jason Jones of The Athletic reported Bagley Jr.'s frustration with the Kings has "simmered" ever since his son's rookie season, when Bagley Jr. took issue with the coaching of then-Kings coach Dave Joerger.
It is unknown how Bagley will respond to the comments. Jones noted the former Duke star was not made available to the media following Saturday's loss.
Bagley has started all six games this season, though his minutes remain practically identical to the time he got during his rookie season. The 21-year-old has struggled to be efficient, shooting just 38 percent from the field this season.
There is certainly a case to be made for the Kings easing Bagley back into things. He played just 13 games during the 2019-20 season after suffering from a variety of physical setbacks before being shut down ahead of the NBA restart due to a foot injury.
Simultaneously, the Kings desperately need the 2018 No. 2 overall pick to get back on course after he showed flashes of stardom during his rookie season, and he could benefit from more minutes.
Regardless, Sacramento will undoubtedly be more curious to discover how Bagley himself feels, rather than the apparent wishes of his father.
Hartenstein Had Widespread Interest in Free Agency
3 of 3
The Denver Nuggets were the final bidders for center Isaiah Hartenstein, though the 2017 second-round pick had quite a few suitors in free agency.
Mike Singer of the Denver Post reported Hartenstein, first drafted by the Houston Rockets, garnered interest from a number of teams ahead of the bubble, but Hartenstein was ineligible to participate. This did not deter teams from pursuing the 22-year-old earlier this fall, however.
Singer reported the Portland Trail Blazers, Cleveland Cavaliers, New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards were all interested in Hartenstein before he elected to join the Nuggets.
Hartenstein had not been given much of a chance to show his skill set in Houston, especially once the Rockets went to the small-ball approach at last year's trade deadline. The Rockets waived him this past June, allowing Hartenstein to seek other opportunities.
The Eugene, Oregon, native is not getting a ton of minutes in Denver, but he is making them count. Hartenstein is averaging 5.4 points and 3.6 rebounds in just over nine minutes per game. He did not play in Sunday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
It will be interesting to see what kind of role Hartenstein plays going forward. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone often plays small, with Nikola Jokic eating up minutes at the center spot. Still, Hartenstein can produce in bursts, and he could provide key minutes in Denver's frontcourt.
All stats obtained via Basketball Reference, unless otherwise noted.
